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Cadbury was founded almost 200 years ago. Delve into the fascinating history and you'll find a wealth of interesting facts on subjects including advertising, Cadbury family, past and present products and philanthropy.

1800-1850

1824
SHOP

JOHN CADBURY OPENED BULL STREET

In 1824, John Cadbury opened a grocers shop at 93 Bull Street, Birmingham. Among other things, he sold cocoa and drinking chocolate, which he prepared himself using a pestle and mortar.
MORE ABOUT JOHN'S SHOP

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1831 1842

JOHN CADBURY OPENS FACTORY IN CROOKED LANE

The Cadbury manufacturing business was born in 1831, when John Cadbury decided to start producing on a commercial scale and bought a four-storey warehouse in nearby Crooked Lane.

THE RANGE EXPANDS

By 1842 John Cadbury was selling no less than 16 varieties of drinking chocolate and 11 different cocoas! The earliest preserved price list shows that you could buy drinking chocolate in the form of both pressed cakes and powder.
MORE ABOUT THE RANGE

1847 1847
BAR

THE BUSINESS MOVES TO BRIDGE STREET

In 1847, the Cadbury brothers' booming business moved into a new, larger factory in Bridge Street in the centre of Birmingham.
MORE ABOUT THE NEW FACTORY

FRY'S PRODUCE THE FIRST CHOCOLATE

18th century France produced pastilles (tablets) and bars. But it wasnt until Bristol company Fry & Son made a chocolate delicieux a manger in 1847 that the first bar of chocolate appeared, as we know it today.
MORE ABOUT THE FIRST BAR

1850-1900

1861
CHARGE

RICHARD AND GEORGE CADBURY TAKE

John's health rapidly declined and he finally retired in 1861, handing over complete control of the business to his sons Richard and George. The brothers were just 25 and 21 when they took charge of the business.

MORE ABOUT THE BROTHERS

1866

AN INNOVATIVE PROCESSING TECHNIQUE IS INTRODUCED

The turning point for the Cadbury business was the introduction of a new processing technique, resulting in the 1866 launch of 'Cadbury Cocoa Essence', the UK's first unadulterated cocoa.
MORE ABOUT COCOA ESSENCE

1875

FIRST MILK CHOCOLATE BAR

In 1875, a Swiss manufacturer called Daniel Peter added milk to his recipe to make the first milk chocolate bar.
MORE ABOUT MILK CHOCOLATE

1875
EGG

CADBURY MAKES THEIR FIRST EASTER

The first Cadbury Easter egg was made in 1875. The earliest eggs were made with dark chocolate and had a smooth, plain surface. They were filled with sugar-coated chocolate drops known as 'dragees. Later Easter eggs were decorated and had their plain shells enhanced with chocolate piping and marzipan flowers.

1878

THE CADBURY BROTHERS ARE INSPIRED BY THEIR VISION

When the Bridge Street factory became too small, George Cadbury had a new vision of the future. 'Why should an industrial area be squalid and depressing? he asked. His vision was shared by his brother Richard, and they began searching for a very special site for their new factory.
MORE ABOUT THE SEARCH FOR A SITE

1879
IS BORN

BOURNVILLE 'THE FACTORY IN A GARDEN'

Birmingham architect, George H. Gadd worked closely with George Cadbury to draw up plans for the factory. The first bricks were laid in January 1879 and 16 houses for foremen and senior employees were built on the site.
MORE ABOUT BOURNVILLE

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1893 1895

GEORGE CADBURY ADDS ANOTHER 120 ACRES TO BOURNVILLE

George Cadbury had already created some houses for key workers when the Bournville factory was built. Then, in 1893, he bought another 120 acres near the works and started to build houses in line with the ideals of the embryonic Garden City movement.
MORE ABOUT THE NEW BUILDINGS AT BOURNVILLE

GEORGE CADBURY BUILDS A FURTHER 143 COTTAGES IN BOURNVILLE

George Cadbury decided not to go for tunnel-backs because it limited the amount of light in the houses. Instead he chose rectangular cottages, each one with a large garden. In 1895, 143 cottages were built on the land he had bought privately, a total of 140 acres.
MORE ABOUT BUILDING BOURNVILLE VILLAGE

1897

CADBURY MILK CHOCOLATE IS LAUNCHED

When Cadbury started making Cocoa Essence they had lots of cocoa butter left over, so they used it to make bars of chocolate!
MORE ABOUT CADBURY'S FIRST MILK CHOCOLATE BARS

1900-1920

1900

EARLY OUTDOOR AND PRESS ADVERTISING

Cadbury produced some of the finest examples of posters and press advertisements during this period. A popular local artist, Cecil Aldin, was commissioned to illustrate for Cadbury. His evocative images featured in early magazine campaigns and graced poster sites all over the country.

1905 1905

CADBURY DAIRY MILK IS LAUNCHED

Swiss manufacturers were leading the field in milk chocolate, with much better products than their rivals. In 1904, George Cadbury Jnr was given the challenge to develop a milk chocolate bar with more milk than anything else on the market.
MORE ABOUT DAIRY MILK

FIRST CADBURY LOGO COMMISSIONED

In 1905 William Cadbury commissioned the first Cadbury logo. He was in Paris at the time and chose Georges Auriol to create the design - Auriol also designed the signs for the Paris Metro.
MORE ABOUT THE FIRST LOGO

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1906 1908

BOURNVILLE COCOA IS LAUNCHED

At first, Cadbury resisted creating an alkalised cocoa (a product made less bitter by adding harmless carbonate of potash) having emphasised the purity of their own cocoa. But, eventually, the company realised that alkalised cocoa was the future and created Bournville Cocoa.
MORE ABOUT BOURNVILLE COCOA

BOURNVILLE CHOCOLATE IS LAUNCHED

Bournville chocolate was launched in 1908. It was named after the Bournville factory where it was made, and was originally launched just as a plain chocolate bar.
MORE ABOUT BOURNVILLE CHOCOLATE

1914 1915

FRY'S TURKISH DELIGHT IS LAUNCHED

J.S. Fry & Sons merged with Cadbury in 1919 but the name of the bar remains. Frys Turkish Delight - rose-flavoured Turkish delight draped in milk chocolate - is a longstanding favourite.
MORE ABOUT FRY'S TURKISH DELIGHT

MILK TRAY IS LAUNCHED

Boxes of chocolates had been produced at Cadbury since the 1860s. But they were expensive, sold in small quantities and would only have been bought for very special occasions. Milk Tray was different: a chocolate assortment, affordable enough to be an everyday treat.
MORE ABOUT MILK TRAY

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1919

CADBURY PURCHASES FRY'S

Cadbury bought Frys in 1919 and the company grew, producing delicous chocolate on a grand scale, so it could be enjoyed by everyone.
MORE ABOUT THE PURCHASE OF FRY'S

1920-1940
1920
CADBURY DAIRY MILK GOES PURPLE
Cadbury Dairy Milk started out in pale mauve with red script, in a continental style 'parcel wrap at its launch in 1905. The full Dairy Milk range became purple and gold in 1920.

1920 1921

FLAKE IS LAUNCHED

The 'crumbliest flakiest chocolate was first developed in 1920. A canny Cadbury employee noticed that, when the excess from chocolate moulds was drained off, it fell in a stream and created flaky, folded chocolate.
MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF FLAKE

CADBURY SCRIPT LOGO FIRST APPEARS

The Cadbury script logo, based on the signature of William Cadbury, appeared first on the transport fleet in 1921. It was quite fussy to start with and has been simplified over the years. It wasnt until 1952 that it was used across major brands.

1928 1928
MILK ADS

THE 'GLASS AND A HALF' SYMBOL IS INTRODUCED

It was originally used in 1928 on press and posters, but since then its been in TV ads and on wrapper designs, where you can still see it to this day. First of all it was just on Cadbury Dairy Milk, but its become the face of the company in recent years.

INVESTMENT BEGINS IN CADBURY DAIRY

A huge success from day one, Cadbury Dairy Milk first hit the shelves in 1905. But surprisingly, little money was put into advertising it until 1928.
MORE ABOUT THE DAIRY MILK ADS

1929 1938

CRUNCHIE IS LAUNCHED

A Frys product, Crunchie was launched to rival an Australian bar called the Violet Crumble, which first appeared in 1913.
MORE ABOUT CRUNCHIE

CADBURY ROSES ARE LAUNCHED

Cadbury Roses were introduced to compete in the twist wrapped assortment market. Early designs incorporated a sampler or embroidery rose design which was later replaced by a simpler rose.
MORE ABOUT CADBURY ROSES

1939 1939

KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH VISIT BOURNVILLE

Bournville welcomes King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on a tour that formed part of the programme of their visit to Birmingham on March 1st 1939. 10,000 employees lined the route to welcome the King and Queen.

SECOND WORLD WAR BEGINS

During the War, rationing was enforced and raw materials were in short supply so it was a question of making do and concentrating on those products they were still able to produce.
MORE ABOUT CADBURY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR

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1940-1960

1945 1947

POST WAR EXPANSION

Once the war ended, the company worked hard to restore business as usual. In due course of time, its efforts were rewarded and sales climbed.
MORE ABOUT CADBURY AFTER THE WAR

MILK TRAY BAR IS LAUNCHED

Eight Milk Tray Chocolates, in a bar. Imagine a box of Milk Tray Chocolates. Now imagine picking eight of the most popular chocolates keeping their distinctive shapes and putting them in a bar!
MORE ABOUT THE MILK TRAY BAR

1948 1955

FUDGE IS LAUNCHED

Launched in 1948, Fudge is most famous for its 1980s and early 1990s advertising jingle 'A finger of fudge is just enough to give your kids a treat. The words were new, but the tune was borrowed and based on a traditional English folk song, 'The Lincolnshire Poacher.

FIRST CADBURY TV ADVERT

Cadburys ad for drinking chocolate was one of 24 that were shown on ITVs launch night. The advert was based on the popular panel game 'Twenty Questions'.

1957
ADVERT

THE MAKING OF A 50S CADBURY TV

Ever wondered how an early TV ad was made? We found this footage in the Cadbury archive showing the making of an early Roses TV ad.

1958

LUCKY NUMBERS ARE LAUNCHED

In 1958 Cadbury launched a new assortment of chewy sweets, some covered in chocolate and some not. These Lucky Numbers each had an individual number on the wrapper, hence the name. The brand was retired in 1968.

1960

SKIPPY IS LAUNCHED

The milk chocolate bar with a caramel and wafer centre launched in 1960, with the slogan Its got a crunch in the biscuit and a munch in the middle. A classic 1960s TV ad for Skippy shows a swinging London couple getting off their scooter and going into a trendy coffee bar to pick up their Skippys.

1960-1970

1967

AZTEC BAR IS LAUNCHED

Made of milk chocolate, nougatine and caramel, the Aztec made a big impact on its launch in 1967.

1967 1969

TOFFEE BUTTONS ARE LAUNCHED

A button-shaped chocolate sweet with toffee inside. Launched in 1967 and withdrawn in 1971. The packs featured brightly coloured cowboys and Indians.

CADBURY MERGES WITH SCHWEPPES

The merger happened after the new Cadbury Chairman, Adrian Cadbury, was approached by his opposite number, Lord Watkinson.
MORE ABOUT THE MERGER WITH SCHWEPPES

1970-1980

1970

A DECADE OF SALES GROWTH

Many Cadbury brands - Flake, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Whole Nut and Fruit and Nut - saw vast increases in sales in the 1970s, partially due to hugely successful and memorable TV advertising campaigns.

1970

CURLY WURLY IS LAUNCHED

Curly Wurly, made of chewy toffee covered in milk chocolate, first appeared in 1970.
MORE ABOUT CURLY WURLY

1970 1971

OLD JAMAICA IS LAUNCHED

Old Jamaica was a special blend of milk and plain chocolate with rum flavoured raisins. This Cadbury Classic Selection bar is no longer made for the UK market, but you can still stock up on Old Jamaica if you look around on the Internet.

CREME EGG IS LAUNCHED

Cream-filled eggs first appeared back in 1923. But the Cadbury Creme Egg we know and love today didnt hit the shelves until 1971.
MORE ABOUT CREME EGG

1980-1990

1981

WISPA IS LAUNCHED

Launched nationally in 1983 after a trial run in the North East of England, Wispa was available throughout the 1980s and 1990s and was re-born in 2007.
MORE ABOUT WISPA

1985

BOOST COCONUT IS LAUNCHED

Milk chocolate covered bar with a toasted coconut and caramel centre. A variant of the mighty Boost, this coconut flavour was discontinued in 1994.

1987 1989

TWIRL IS LAUNCHED

Twirl was launched in the UK in 1987. The brand was developed by the Cadbury Ireland business using Flake technology. It was originally launched in Ireland in 1985 as a single finger product and became a two-finger product on its UK launch.

INSPIRATIONS ARE LAUNCHED

Textured fruit flavoured centres covered in milk, white and dark chocolate. Inspirations launched in 1989, in a carton with sliding drawers. Initially highly successful, it was retired in 1998.

1990-2000

1990

CADBURY WORLD OPENS

Factory tours had always been popular but it was impossible to run a factory smoothly if it had thousands of visitors. In 1988 Cadbury began planning a visitor attraction to take the place of the factory tours - Cadbury World.
MORE ABOUT THE OPENING OF CADBURY WORLD

1996

CADBURY FUSE IS LAUNCHED

Fuse exploded into the UK marketplace on Fuesday 24th September 1996. It was a chocolate bar with a difference instead of having a chocolate coating on the outside, the yummy ingredients were suspended right the way through it.
MORE ABOUT CADBURY FUSE

2000-TODAY

2003 2007

CADBURY SCHWEPPES BUYS ADAMS AND BECOMES THE WORLD'S LEADING CONFECTIONERY COMPANY
Cadbury bought the worlds number 2 gum manufacturer, Adams, in 2003 and achieved its aim of leading the market.
MORE ABOUT CADBURY BUYING ADAMS

THE GORILLA ADVERT PREMIERS

'Gorilla showed the eponymous primate enthusiastically playing the drums on the Phil Collins record 'In the Air Tonight. It proved hugely popular and cleaned up at advertising awards ceremonies, winning many prizes including the prestigious Grand Prix Lion at Cannes in 2008.

2008

CADBURY AND SCHWEPPES DEMERGE

The two companies demerged to allow each to concentrate on its area of expertise.

2008

CADBURY COCOA PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHED

In January 2008, Cadbury launched the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership. 45 million was put aside to put into cocoa farms in Ghana, India, Indonesia and the Caribbean over a decade.
MORE ABOUT THE COCOA PARTNERSHIP

2009

CADBURY DAIRY MILK BECOMES FAIRTRADE

The move to Fairtrade has the impact of tripling the sales for cocoa farmers in Ghana under Fairtrade terms, both increasing Fairtrade cocoa sales for existing certified farming groups, as well as opening up new opportunities for thousands more farmers to benefit from the Fairtrade system.
MORE ABOUT CADBURY DAIRY MILK BECOMING FAIRTRADE

2010
FOODS

CADBURY BECOMES PART OF KRAFT

Cadbury became part of Kraft Foods family on the 2nd of February 2010.

2012

CHOCOLATE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE OPENS IN BOURNVILLE

A new global research and devlopment centre opens in Bournville as part of a 17 million investment in R&D in the UK
MORE ABOUT THE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

1800-1850

1850-1900
1900-1920 1920-1940 1940-1960 1960-1970 1970-1980 1980-1990 1990-2000 2000-TODAY

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